The tavern

Eris felt Evodine's hand wrap around hers and gave a squeeze. They were standing in front of the tavern, music and voices were heard from it. If Evodine weren't holding her hand, Eris would probably walk the other way.

"You'll do great darling. I will always be by your side alright? You aren't defenseless either, magic is on your side" The word magic sent a chill through her spine. Last time she used it she might have killed her whole village. She wasn't even sure if she did or not… And it made her feel extremely guilty. Evodine let go of her hand and instead ran her hand through Eris' long hair.

"I can go and check if it bothers you so much"

"Aren't you worried?" Evodine smiled then let out a small chuckle.

"Humans smack bugs and insects whenever they want to, use and sell other creatures… And just look at what they did to you dear… They deserve it" Her tone seemed different than usual. There was something dark lingering in the playfulness of her voice. Eris couldn't disagree with her either. They weren't innocent.. They made her do this. The regret slowly lifted off her chest. The only thing that was left, was the fear that Cashimir would find out it was her… So he would hate her forever.

"Ready?" Evodine gestured towards the door. Eris woke up from her thoughts and gave a small unsure nod as she pulled her hood over her head, hiding her ears. Evodine made a twirl and turned into a butterfly, flying towards Eris then rested on her shoulder.

With a deep breath Eris opened the door, trying to seem confident but when all of the eyes were directed towards her she felt herself curling up and looked down on the floor, avoiding eye contact as best as she could. She thought the suffocating silence would take over as she walked in but to her surprise, everyone kept talking and the music kept playing like she wasn't there.

"The musician is really handsome~" Eris heard Evodine's voice whisper into her ear and giggled softly.

"Oh but… Probably not as handsome as your beloved Cashimir," She felt her cheeks heat up when Evodine mentioned Cashimir and decided to ignore the comment, not wanting to stand out too much. She quickly sat down at a nearby empty table and sighed as she directed her eyes to the musician. He was playing on a lute and singing, his voice being smooth and soft. Eris kept staring at him, feeling how she was pulled in. His voice was captivating, like she was under some sort of spell. Eris couldn't help but smile, rarely hearing music back at the village only when it was far away. Or that one time when Cashimir had to leave…

"When my lover went away, life lost meaning…" Eris' eyes widened as he kept singing, the words hit her too hard and for a moment she lost her breath and tears started to slowly form. She looked up, trying to stop the tears from falling but it was almost impossible and they fell anyway. She sighed trying to wipe them away but Cashimir's face kept flashing by in her mind, left and right. She didn't even notice when the man stopped singing. Not until he was beside her.

"Are you alright, miss?" His voice was warm and thick as well as sweet. It reminded her of honey which brought back memories of her Granny, bringing honey and how Cashimir loved eating it and mixing it in tea. Eris groaned as no matter how many times she wiped her face, it kept getting wet. Hesitantly she looked at the man and was not prepared to see him. From afar he didn't seem as big as he did now. The shirt was tight around him, showing off his muscles, his skin was green and two large fangs were visible from his lower jaw. She never saw someone like him and he seemed so scary. The voice and the appearance did not match. But there was something calming about him. His eyes showed warmth and worry and his hair was long and curly with braids decorated in it as well. The color of his hair reminded her of chestnuts. A sigh escaped her lips as she hugged herself and let the tears fall. He had already noticed her anyway.

"I'm not alright…" She mumbled, biting her lip trying to keep her from saying more fearing that he might make fun of her if she showed any more weakness. The whole ground shook slightly as the man sat down beside her.

"Shouldn't you be on stage and singing?" Frustration grew inside of her, not wanting to be pitied or tricked by his kindness but he didn't show any signs that he would. Someone else was on stage already, playing the flute and a beautiful woman with fiery red hair began to sing instead.

"Oh…"

"I know I am just a stranger to you. But I am here to listen"

"I lost my home… I lost everything…" The words slipped out. Something about him was so comforting and safe. It was incredibly stange. Eris moved her hood to cover her face and the man placed his hand on her back, showing support yet keeping a distance.

"The village burned it down… Because I am different. My only… Friend left me for something important. I don't know where to go"

Cheer was suddenly heard from the crowd and Eris curled into a smaller ball and looked up at the stage, seeing the woman bowing and waving elegantly. She envied her beauty. How everyone seemed to love her performance. The man clicked his tongue then sighed.

"I know how it feels." Somehow those words made her feel better. That she wasn't alone. Suddenly the man stood up and the woman walked towards them. She had a smirk, laughed and poked the taller man's shoulder but the smile soon faded after he seemed to explain. Eris watched them and suddenly her eyes met the woman's. They were vividly green, the red hair only making it even more so. She felt watched, judged by this woman who made an expression Eris couldn't really explain. It felt unnatural and it didn't fit the beauty of her face. A sigh escaped her lips then made a hand gesture.

"Fine!" She groaned then rubbed her forehead.

"But you will take care of her and I won't spend a penny on her. Got it?" The two of them got closer.

"I have a client of mine requesting me tonight. We are leaving early in the morning. If one of you is late, I'll leave without both of you" Her eyes piercing through Eris as she said it. It reminded her of the girl from the village. But there was something off about this one. Maybe it was those long ears sticking out and the closer she got, Eris saw lots of freckles cover her face, hidden under a thin layer of some sort of powder. She then left, her expression changed into a smile as she walked towards a man and wrapped her arms around his.

"She's my sister, Edeltria. A bit mean and well, stingy when it comes to money. But she has a good heart behind all of that. What's your name?" The worry from his face has washed off and there was a warm and gentle smile on his face. Similar to how Cashimir used to look at her when they were younger.

"Eris…"

"I'm Brem, I still have few permorcens left. Let me treat you for some dinner. You can borrow my room for the night as well."

"I-"

"Accept it sweetheart, he seems genuine no? If he is just using you, you can escape easily with my help." Evodine's voice echoed in her head and the offer he made did seem like her only chance currently.

"Thank you Brem…" Eris gave him a small unsure smile and he gave her a nod with a large smile, his teeth being almost pure white and slightly sharper than most. He seemed so happy when he smiled like that, Eris didn't understand why someone would be happy to help…

After Brem managed to get through the crowd with women flirting with him and chatting with him, he arrived with the meal which had time to cool off. Eris pulled the hood off so she could see better and Brem even provided her carafe with water at the table.

He then returned on stage and played a more joyful song this time that still felt sensual. The crowd got larger and larger as time passed. He charmed them all. Eris focused on eating, feeling relieved that she wouldn't need to sleep out in the woods again.

The plate was completely clean when Eris was done with it and she almost drank everything too. The feeling of being completely full made her feel happy. She couldn't remember the last time she was able to eat this sort of rich meat with poates. At home she usually had fish with herbs and salad which got tasteless and boring after awhile.

Few songs later, Brem got a small break and showed Eris to the room. He showed her where she could place her stuff and then told her to get some rest and sleep on the bed. Which Eris did gladly. It didn't take long after she took off her shoes to pass out on the bed with a small smile on her face.